The Reunion
by sleepy1177
Summary: Tris and friends attend their five year high school reunion, where she runs into an old flame. Will she rekindle the flame with her only high school boyfriend, or will an old friend sweep her off of her feet? AU, OOC, non-canon, oneshot


**This little story had been floating around in the back of my mind for a few days, so I finally decided to write it out as a one-shot. Enjoy!**

I flip the fancy envelope in my hand one more time, debating internally if I even want to bother opening it. Who even throws a five year high school reunion? I mean, at this point we're probably still in college. Well, at least I am. As soon as I graduated I got the hell out of Chicago and moved to South Bend, Indiana, where I've lived for the past five years while attending the University of Notre Dame. This is my senior year, and I'm very excited to graduate with my masters in architectural design.

My friend Christina has been begging me for weeks to come to this reunion. She loves this kind of thing - getting dressed to impress and trying to make everyone around us jealous. It's not like I was a "cool kid" in high school, it was actually quite the opposite. I was the definition of a nerdy bookworm, the perfect straight A student who graduated at the top of our class as the valedictorian. She and I are polar opposites, where she is almost six feet tall of caramel skinned, long legged goddess I'm barely five and a half feet tall, quiet and I've been called the girl next door more times than I can count. Christina is loud, a total social butterfly and the life of every party. Me, well I'm the girl who finds the dog at the party and sits petting him while I try to stay as invisible as possible. She's the closest girl friend that I have, and she's never given up on getting me out of my shell, even if it's by dragging me out kicking and screaming.

"Tris, are you even listening to me?" Christina pouts, glaring at me through our FaceTime conversation.

"Yes, Chris. You want me to go to this reunion. That's the gist of it, right?"

"Of course it is! Four is going to be there." She grins.

Ah, yes, Four. The absolutely ridiculous nickname of the most popular boy from our high school class, the four sport star athlete who's real name is Tobias Eaton. The boy that every girl wanted to land, that somehow made his way into my heart. Me, the introverted, artistic, socially awkward and painfully shy girl next door landed the hottest boy to ever grace the halls of Dauntless high school. Tobias seemed to be the perfect boyfriend, smart, funny, attentive and even a bit protective. Every girl in the school was jealous of me, and I couldn't stand it. Dating Tobias unwillingly put a target on my back, and our classmates were cruel in their disapproval of someone as low on the social pyramid as me winning the prize. I gained a whole new set of friends with my seven month relationship with Tobias, but I never left my best and previously only friend behind. Tobias hated my best friend with a passion, and I could never understand why. After all, it was Tobias who dumped me via text message the night of our senior prom, a full hour after he was supposed to pick me up. It was then that I called my best friend in tears, telling him that I had not only been dumped but also stood up for prom. While I was on the phone with him, I heard our doorbell ring and there stood my best friend, still holding his phone to his ear, wearing a suit and carrying a bouquet of roses. He waited while I dried my tears and redid my makeup before escorting me to prom. It turned out to be one of the best nights of my life.

"Chris, I have no desire to see Four. In case you don't remember, he dumped me before prom and when I finally got there I caught him having sex with Lauren in the limo I helped pay for." I reply, while rolling my eyes. "Besides, when I left Chicago things between him and me were super awkward, to the point where we stopped talking to each other."

"Ok, I agree that was a shitty thing to do. He feels awful to this day about it. Like really bad." She replies. "You know, he's never really gotten over you."

"Well, he should feel bad for being a jerk back then, but it's in the past. He shouldn't dwell on it, I'm not." I reply.

"Well, I know for a fact he's single. Plus, he always asks about you." She replies.

"Still don't care." I reply, while spinning back and forth on my desk chair.

"Hey, is that a picture of soldier boy I see?" She asks while pointing at a picture on my desk. "Swing the phone back over there." I oblige her request by spinning around in my desk chair and pointing the phone at the picture of my best friend.

"Damn Trissy, he looks a whole lot different than he did in high school. No more skinny nerd there. Holy muscles! And that uniform, so hot." She giggles. "Is he single?"

"God Chris, what about Will? Does he know you're in heat for my best friend?" I laugh.

"Will is secure enough in our relationship to not care when I drool over hot boys. Tris, why didn't you tell me that Eric went from totally geek to fine as hell?"

"Maybe because I don't spend all my time drooling over him." I reply.

"Well maybe you should. Is he coming to the reunion?" She asks.

"He's in Afghanistan. So no." I sigh.

While Christina and I are close, Eric is truly my absolute best friend. He was just as shy and introverted as me all through school. Tall, lanky and socially inept, we gravitated towards each other like magnets. At age fifteen, we were each other's awkward first kiss, after we had a lengthy discussion about the logic of kissing with tongue. Eric was my everything, we were there for each other through thick and thin and he patiently supported me throughout the train wreck of my only high school relationship with Tobias. The night before Eric left for boot camp, he confessed his love for me, and we became each other's first sexual experience as well. It's been a long two years since I last saw Eric, and when he showed up at my dorm out of the blue that night he told me he was finally home for good. When he was home we spent every second with each other, and we finally felt like a real couple, going out together, making love until dawn and talking about a possible future. But after only three short days he was called back for active duty, and when he had to leave again it was one of the most painful experiences I've ever had. We've kept in touch as much as possible, but I refused all talks of a relationship with him being deployed almost permanently and me trying to finish my degree thousands of miles away. We write letters frequently, and share as many FaceTime and phone calls as our schedules allow. I miss him every day.

"Again? Is he ever coming back to the states permanently?" She asks.

"He wants to. I don't think he knows where he wants to put roots down." I reply.

"Is he still hopelessly in love with you?" She asks with a giggle.

"He was never hopelessly in love with me Chris. We're friends." I reply.

No one knows about our past romantic encounters, and I prefer it that way. I already get hounded relentlessly about Tobias, and I really don't want to hear it about Eric too. Besides, talking about what might have been with Eric is too painful.

"Whatever Tris, you are blind to things. That boy pined away for you the whole time you were with Four. I'm surprised he never confessed his undying love before he shipped off for boot camp." She laughs. God I hope she can't see my blush. "Tris, please come to the reunion. I miss you so much. You can even stay with Will and me. Please! Uriah is going to be there too, and he's dying to see you again. Please!" She begs.

"Fine, ok I'll go. Happy?" I ask. She begins dancing with her phone.

"I'm ecstatic! I'm going to see you in two weeks! Can you get here a couple days early? We could dress shop." She grins like the Cheshire Cat.

"I'll see what I can do." I reply, rolling my eyes at her. She blows me a kiss.

"Ok, I'm going to work now. I love you Trissy!"

"I love you too Chrissy. Talk to you tomorrow." We blow kisses at each other before hanging up.

 **Two days before the reunion**

"Ok Chris, what time are you making me get up tomorrow?" I ask during our FaceTime conversation, watching as she rolls her eyes.

"It won't be that early. Get off the damn phone and hurry up. How close are you anyway?" She asks.

"I'm less than an hour away. I had to stop, my bladder is full of coffee." I pout and she sticks out her tongue. "Ok, I'll be there soon. Don't forget, I want pizza from Bartoli's."

"We already planned on it, got a table held and everything." She grins.

"Why'd you need to hold a table for just three people?" I ask, unlocking my car door.

"Oh, you know, it can get busy there. Love you!" She blows me a kiss then disconnects before I can protest. Sneaky woman!

Forty five minutes later I'm knocking on Chris and Will's apartment door. It's quickly thrown open and I'm engulfed in a huge hug.

"Trissy!" Uriah yells.

"Oh my gosh, Uri!" I yell back, squeezing him hard.

He drags me inside where I find most of our core group of high school friends. Uriah's girlfriend Marlene, his twin brother Zeke and his now girlfriend Shauna, Lynn, Peter, Al, Myra, Edward, Chris, Will and Tobias.

"Holy crap, did the reunion start early?" I ask while getting hugs from each of my friends. When I get to Tobias, he holds on a little tighter.

"You look good Tris." He says, smiling the same lopsided way that melted my heart so many years ago.

"Thanks. You look good yourself." I reply, taking in his dark blue eyes, tousled brown hair and tan complexion. He's lean, but muscular and I catch a bit of a tattoo peeking out from under his black v neck tshirt. I have to admit, he is gorgeous.

"When did you get these?" He asks, touching the tattoo of ravens on my collarbone.

"Two years ago." I reply.

"It's nice. Any significance with the birds?" He asks.

"Yeah, one bird for each member of my family." He nods and smiles, then reaches out and tucks a stray hair behind my ear.

Everyone knows about my family's death. It was huge news, a home invasion, execution type murder due to my brother's unfortunate choice to get involved with drugs. You couldn't open a paper in Chicago without seeing an article about it for almost a year afterward. The notoriety of the group who was responsible for my family's murder was headline news, and it sickened me to no end, ultimately driving me out of the city I once loved. I survived only because I had slept over at Eric's house that night. The same night I lost my virginity to my best friend my family was brutally murdered. That morning, I drove him to the recruiters office and tearfully said goodbye not knowing that I would find the bodies of my family as soon as I walked back through the doors of my home. Eric didn't find out for weeks, being sheltered away in boot camp kept him protected from the cruelty of the outside world. He tried to leave the army as soon as he found out, threatening to go AWOL until I was finally able to convince him that I needed him there rather than here. It was the only time I ever lied to Eric, but it was for his own good.

I left Chicago as soon as I could, deciding to accept the full academic scholarship to one of the most prestigious universities in the United States. I threw myself into my studies, maintaining a better than perfect grade point average just like I had at high school. I also dedicated myself to the necessary grief counseling to make it through my survivors guilt and the sheer pain of losing my entire family. Eric and I talked on the phone and FaceTimed as much as possible, and I managed to maintain a friendship with Christina as well through daily FaceTimes and the occasional face to face visits. Christina never pushed me to come back to the city for a visit, instead always either making the full drive to South Bend, or meeting me half way. For all of her loud and crazy tendencies, she can be a surprisingly thoughtful and caring friend.

Tobias and I maintained a different type of friendship, if you would even call it that. After the prom night fiasco, we didn't speak at all. He never attempted to apologize or explain his behavior, instead he entered into a PDA filled relationship with Lauren and acted like I didn't exist. When she loudly, and very publicly broke up with him, he seemed more than relieved. When he found out about my parents he showed up at Chris' house that same day and comforted me. Although he never left my side for the several weeks it took me to have their funeral and finalize their affairs, we never had "the talk" about our failed relationship, and when I left for college what we were to each other was undefined and extremely raw. We attempted to keep in touch, but the pain of losing my parents and the unfinished business between him and I became too much, and we finally stopped trying.

"Who's the fourth bird for?" He asks.

"For the only person who's ever had my heart." I answer honestly. He's about to say something else when we hear Chris from across the room.

"Who's ready for pizza?" She yells while ushering us out the door.

"Wanna ride with me?" Tobias asks. Before I can answer, Uriah grabs my hand and whisks me towards his SUV.

"Come on Trissy, you can ride in my baby!" He says with a grin. I smile at Tobias and promise him I'll ride back with him as Uri drags me away. I climb in to the back seat, and Chris and Will follow behind me.

"Tris, what the hell was that with Four?" Chris asks once we're on our way.

"A conversation." I reply.

"He seemed to want to continue it." She replies, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Chris, I've been back in town for twenty minutes. Can you wait at least an hour before trying to hook me up?" I laugh.

"I just don't want you to die a virgin." She replies with a chuckle.

"Really Chris? That ship has sailed." I roll my eyes at her.

"Yeah, I know, lost to the person who you'll never name." She elbows me in the ribs. "It was Four, wasn't it?"

"Nope. The fact that I wouldn't give him my V-card was a factor in why he broke up with me. Remember that when you try relentlessly to get us back together, ok?" I reply.

"Tris, that was years ago. People change." She replies. "At least give him a chance. He's in love with you, you know?"

"No, he's not. You say that about every boy I've ever been remotely close to." I giggle and she joins in.

"Ok, maybe I do, but it's the truth with him. He's even told Zeke." She replies seriously. "Don't you ever think about what could have been with him? He's really grown up Tris."

I don't answer her, and thankfully Will distracts her so I can think about what she's said. There's no way that he could love me, he screwed me over five years ago and then we completely fell apart shortly after I left the city. Seeing him now, it's likely he's had no shortage of women who have been willing and eager to help him keep his bed warm. I certainly don't want to be another notch on his belt.

We soon arrive at the restaurant and after a few minutes are shown to a large round table. I'm seated between Tobias and Peter, but we're able to talk pretty easily with everyone.

Once our food and drinks have been ordered, the conversation flows freely with everyone catching up on each other's lives. Chris, Will, Tobias, Zeke, Shauna, Edward and Myra have all stayed in the city, while the rest of our group has spread their wings and moved about the country. I'm actively listening to the lively conversation at the table, when Lynn asks me a direct question.

"Hey Tris, do you still keep in touch with Eric?" She asks.

"Actually yeah I do. He's still in the army, his troop is over in Afghanistan. They've been there almost two years." I reply.

"Holy shit. That's a long time. Have you seen him at all since school?" Peter asks.

"He visited before leaving for this current tour. We spent a few days together." I reply, hoping to steer the attention away from me. Talking about Eric isn't bad, but thinking about how he was practically ripped out of my arms and forced back into a conflicted Middle East is painful. He and I haven't talked for weeks, and there have been no letters from him either, which is highly unusual and it terrifies me.

"So is he married? Kids? Any of that?" Myra asks.

"No wife, no kids, he's single." I reply.

"I always thought for sure the two of you would end up together." Lynn says with a rare smile. She and I weren't as close as Chris and me, but she was one of the few friends in our shared circle that didn't think that Tobias and I were meant to be, instead her deep intellect and powers of observation told her that Eric and I were always more than friends. She also never once gave me a hard time about it, which I was always grateful for.

"Nope." I reply, and I can tell by the way Lynn looks at me she understands there is so much more hidden in that simple response. "So Myra, what's it like working for the Cubs?" I ask, changing the subject.

Myra starts telling us stories about her adventures as one of the press secretaries for the team. I'm surprised when Tobias leans in and whispers in my ear.

"Do you ever think about coming back home for good?" He asks.

"No. Too many bad memories here." I reply. He nods and reaches for my hand, giving it a quick squeeze but not dropping it, instead he moves it to his thigh. He threads our fingers together and runs his thumb across the back of my hand. It's been two years since someone's shown me affection like this, and it's actually nice. We continue to hold hands while talking amongst our friends until our food finally arrives, and we soon all dish out different slices of amazing deep dish pizza.

We eat our dinner, sharing more stories and memories and lingering in the restaurant a little too long. After getting some dirty looks from waiting customers, we start to bid our goodbyes and make side plans for shopping, etc. before the reunion. As we're walking to the parking lot, Tobias stops me.

"Hey, if you're not too tired would you want to hang out a little longer?" He asks with a hopeful smile.

As I'm about to answer, I get an incoming FaceTime alert on my phone. I grab it from my bag thinking its Christina messing with me, but I'm overjoyed to see Eric's name.

"I've gotta take this." I quickly say, walking away from the restaurant.

I answer the call and Eric's handsome face pops up.

"Hey baby." He says with a grin.

"Oh my gosh, it's you." I reply, feeling the tears forming in my eyes.

"Hey, you're not allowed to cry. What's wrong?" He asks.

"I miss you so much. I've been so worried about you. It's been weeks since I've heard from you." I reply.

"I'm ok Tris. Look at me, I'm fine." He replies. His hair is longer than he usually keeps it, and he has a light beard growing in.

"Where are you?" I ask. "Is it some place that you're allowed to talk about?"

"Not this time. What about you, where are you right now?" He asks.

"The parking lot of Bartoli's." I chuckle. "With half of our graduating class I swear."

"Only half? Chris must be losing her touch." He chuckles. "Where are you staying?"

"With Chris and Will. Everyone's been asking about you. They all miss you." I reply.

"Oh yeah, who's everyone?" He grins.

"Uri, Marlene, Zeke, Shauna, Edward, Myra, Peter, Al, Lynn, Chris, Will and Four." I rattle off.

"Well shit, that is almost half the class huh?" He replies with a laugh.

"Tris, where are you?" I hear Chris yell.

"Over here!" I yell back. "Oh shit, I forgot about them. Wanna go for a walk?" I ask.

"I can't stay on much longer. I miss you baby." He says.

"I don't want you to go. I miss you so much Eric. When will you be able to come home again?" I ask, with tears falling down my cheeks.

"I don't know Tris. I'll let you know though, ok? I'm coming home for you as soon as I can. Baby, please don't cry. I'll be there before you know it." He replies. "I can't wait to hold you in my arms again. It'll be soon, I promise."

"You never make a promise you don't intend to keep." I reply with a smile.

"That's my girl. I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"Soon." He smiles.

"Soon." I smile back, we blow each other a kiss before disconnecting. I can feel the tears falling freely and an arm slip around my shoulder.

"Oh sweetie. Don't cry." Chris soothes. "You poor thing, you love him. Come here." She engulfs me in a hug, and holds me while I cry on her shoulder.

"Is she ok?" I hear a deep voice. Tobias.

"She's fine Four. Sorry for making you wait, we can call a cab." She replies.

"No, it's perfectly alright. I'll be in the car, take your time."

 **The day before the reunion**

"I have to be able to walk in them." I say to Chris, exasperated by the tenth pair of death trap heels she's made me try on.

"You seriously have no fashion sense." She sighs.

"Give her a break Chris, you already won on the dress selection." Shauna laughs.

"And she agreed to let you do hair and makeup." Myra says.

"Plus, you've had her out shopping for three hours and she hasn't lost her shit." Marlene giggles.

"Fine. How about these?" Chris brings over a box with simple, strappy black sandals with a low heel. I try them on and they are perfect.

"Winner, winner, chicken dinner!" I exclaim, making everyone but Chris laugh. She rolls her eyes and drags me to the register.

After witnessing my meltdown in the parking lot after dinner last night, Chris asked everyone to call it an early night, while Tobias just dropped us off at Chris and Will's place without exiting his car, sensing that I was troubled by something and knowing that Chris and I needed space. Chris and I talked for hours, and I finally told her all about Eric and me. She even managed to get me to admit to something I've never said out loud - the fact that I am in love with him.

We decided to spend the day shopping, and then relaxing at the spa. We spend hours getting massaged, waxed, polished and primped. I finally relent and cut some of my extremely long hair off, bringing it from waist length to just below my shoulder. The girls talked me into highlights, so now my honey blonde hair has both light blonde and dark brown streaks, falling in loose naturally wavy layers and even I have to admit it looks great.

As we sit for our pedicures, my FaceTime alert goes off.

"Oh my god, it's Eric again!" I exclaim, getting smiles from all of the girls. I quickly answer the call, and his smiling face soon pops up.

"Your hair, I love it." He smiles. "How much did you get cut?" I hold the phone out so he can see the shorter length. "God baby, you're beautiful." The girls all say awwww in unison, earning a chuckle from Eric. "Hey ladies." He says.

"Hey soldier boy!" Chris yells while everyone else says hello.

"How are you able to call two days in a row?" I ask, trying to see his surroundings.

"Pure good luck." He replies with a smile, running his hand across his shaggy curls. "Let's take advantage while we can. What are you up to today?"

"Shopping, and now spa. I'm getting a pedicure. What about you?"

"Missing you terribly, in case you haven't noticed." He smiles.

"You never did tell me where you are now." I reply.

"I didn't. Sorry baby, it's back to top secret today."

"Are you safe at least?" I ask. I can see the dark circles under his eyes even in the low light.

"I am. I promise."

"You never make a promise you don't intend to keep." I smile.

"Never. Are you excited about the reunion?" He asks.

"Not really. You know these things aren't my cup of tea. Besides, I've seen almost everyone I want from school already."

"Except me." He grins.

"Except you." I agree.

"So, has Four tried to hit on you yet?" He asks. Chris snorts. "Well based on that snort, I'm going to assume the answer is yes."

"He's tried to get me to spend time with him, but as for hitting on me I don't think so."

"You are always oblivious to how men see you Tris." He replies with a sigh.

"Not oblivious, just uninterested." I smile.

"I miss you." He says.

"I miss you too baby." I reply sadly.

"Stealing my nickname now?" He smiles.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"I gotta go. I'll talk to you tomorrow, ok?" He says.

"Really, you think you can get three days in a row?" I ask hopefully.

"I'll do everything I can. I miss you baby." He replies.

"I miss you too, so much."

"Soon."

"Soon." I reply, before blowing one last kiss.

I put my phone on my lap and close my eyes, willing the tears away.

"That was a sweet conversation." Marlene says softly. "Why do you say soon at the end?"

"It kind of encompasses everything. When we will talk again, when we might see each other again, and when he'll finally be home again." I reply.

Sensing my emotional struggle, Chris thankfully steers the conversation away from Eric and onto the reunion tomorrow. The girls are so excited to go, and I can't help but let a little of their joy rub off on me. Even though I wish Eric were here, it's nice to be around my friends again.

 **The day of the reunion**

I'm finally dressed, makeup done, hair deemed perfect by the girls and patiently waiting for Chris to finish getting ready while checking my phone for the millionth time today.

"Hey, you know he'll call if he's able to sweetie. Don't worry, and don't mess your makeup up." Chris calls from her spot in front of her mirror.

"I know." I reply, pacing nervously. I glance at the floor length mirror and I'm actually surprised at how pretty I feel tonight. My dress is sleeveless, with tight red lace over top of a black bodice, that hugs and accentuates my curves and flows slightly out at the bottom continuing with the lace over black combination. It falls a little past mid thigh and has enough of a dip in the front to showcase my tattoos, and a nice hint of cleavage without making me feel exposed. Chris has braided the sides of my shorter hair, gathering it in the back into a loose chignon, and given me a light cat eye and red lips. My only jewelry are diamond studs that Eric gave me, along with the matching tennis bracelet.

"Stop pacing. You look beautiful." Chris says from behind me. She's wearing a short pink strapless cocktail dress with a peplum top, along with black shoes that are almost stilettos. Her makeup is flawless, a smokey eye and pink lips that are perfect against her caramel skin. Her long hair is straightened and flowing down her back. "Let's go."

We walk out into the living room and find Will looking exceptionally handsome in his suit. Chris gives him a sweet kiss, and I take a bunch of pictures of them together with both Chris and my phones. Will takes pictures of Chris and me together, making silly faces and then giving him our best smiles.

"Four offered to pick us up, I hope you don't mind." Chris says sheepishly.

"It's fine, we're getting along well." I reply.

Within minutes we hear a knock on the door. Will answers it and invited Tobias in.

"Wowza Four, you clean up well." Chris says.

He looks very handsome in his slim fit black suit with a narrow red tie. He carries a small bouquet of flowers, which he shyly hands to me.

"Thank you, these are beautiful." I say to him with a smile before putting them in some water.

"You look beautiful Tris." He replies.

"You are looking quite dapper yourself." I grin.

We soon leave and make the drive to the reunion. I'm amused to see it is being held at the same facility that our senior prom was, a fact that Will quickly points out. I can see Tobias nervously shifting in his seat when Chris and Will start reminiscing about prom night.

"That was a great night. I lost my virginity that night." Will chuckles.

"Me too." Chris replies, and I hear them kissing in the back seat.

"You did too, didn't you Four?" I ask sweetly. I'm not bitter about the way that night turned out, but it is fun to make him squirm a bit.

"I'm really sorry about that. I never wanted to hurt you." He says.

"It's in the past. I didn't let it ruin my night. Eric and I had a great prom." I reply.

Once we're inside, we quickly find our group of friends, and we spend time mingling with the alumni of our graduating class. The music is fun, mostly everything from our senior year, and we spend a lot of time dancing with each other as a group. When a slow song finally comes on, Tobias extends his hand to me.

"May I have this dance?" He asks with a handsome smile.

"Certainly." I reply and he escorts me to the dance floor.

We sway along with the music, his arms around my waist and mine on his shoulders.

"Tris, I'm really sorry about the way I treated you in high school. I just want you to know I'm not that same person anymore. I've grown up a lot, and I realize that I made a huge mistake when I let you go. Do you think we could start over maybe?" He asks.

"Tobias, it's in the past. I won't lie, it did hurt me the way you dumped me and left me stranded on prom night. It was a shitty way to do things, and you were definitely thinking with the wrong head. It worked out in the end though, and I really did have a nice time that night in spite of you being an asshole." I grin.

"I was definitely an asshole. I was so stupid. Can you forgive me?" He asks.

"Already done. Really." I reply.

"Do you think we could try again? South Bend and Chicago are less than two hours away from each other. We could make it work Tris. I'd be willing to do whatever it takes for us to have a real shot at this." He says, the sincerity on his face is pure.

"Oh Tobias, I can't. I'm sorry." I reply, watching as his face falls.

"You have someone else, don't you?" He asks. "I missed my chance."

"It's hard to explain. My heart is with someone else, even if we can't physically be together." I reply. His dark blue eyes are trained on me as he appears to be deep in thought.

"It's Eric, isn't it?" He asks.

"It's always been him." I reply softly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's my own fault for letting you go. I was a fool. I hope he doesn't make the same mistake." He replies.

"Friends?" I ask.

"Yes, definitely." He grins. As the song ends he gives me a tight hug and then we walk to the table together.

We all spend more time talking and laughing, and I realize this feels more like a high school dance than a reunion. It's truly a fun time, in spite of my initial hesitance at coming back to Chicago. Another slow song comes on and our table empties, leaving just Al and me. He soon looks over at me.

"Wanna dance Tris?" He asks sweetly.

"I'm going to sit this one out, but thank you." I reply and he smiles again before getting up and talking to some classmates at another table. I take my phone out and check it again for any missed calls or alerts, feeling slightly disappointed when I find none. I zone out a bit, thinking about how the last time I was here in this building I was with Eric, wrapped in his arms for most of the night.

"Would you like to dance baby?"

I jump at the sound of the voice that I adore. I turn around and there he is, my Eric, in his dress uniform, hair freshly cut and beard shaved away, standing with his hand extended to me. I can't help the tears that begin falling.

"Oh my god. You're here. Oh my god." I cry as he pulls me to his chest tightly.

"What'd I say about crying?" He asks while rubbing my back. "Tris, look at me."

I finally look up at him and see his handsome face, his gorgeous grey eyes dancing with happiness. He smells amazing, his cologne a spicy musk that mingles with his natural scent. He cups my face and leans down, kissing me gently at first but soon licking my lips for entrance, which I happily grant. Our tongues dance together, our hands pull each other closer as the heat from our kissing flows through our veins. We break apart for air, and he pulls me into a hug, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispers how much he's missed me and how happy he is to be with me.

"How are you here?" I ask as he sits down and pulls me to his lap.

"Many planes and airports. I was at a different airport each time we spoke." He smiles, while running one hand up and down my exposed thighs. "God baby you look perfect. You are so beautiful." He says before kissing me again.

"How long are you home for?" I ask when we break apart again, our foreheads touching.

"Holy shit!" Chris yells, as she walks up to the table. "You're here!"

I stand up so Eric can hug Chris. He immediately takes my hand in his when they break their embrace. Soon, all of our friends surround us, exchanging hugs or handshakes with Eric.

Tobias makes his way back to the table, a slight smile on his face when he sees Eric.

"Welcome home." He says, extending his hand which Eric shakes. "Tris didn't mention you'd be here."

"She didn't know, I wanted to surprise her." He replies, squeezing our entwined hands and smiling at me.

"I think it's a good surprise." Tobias replies with a genuine smile before sitting down at one of the empty seats at our table.

We finally are able to sit again, and Eric wastes no time pulling me back to his lap. He's placing gentle kisses on my neck while wrapping his arms around me, answering the occasional question from our overly curious friends. As another slow song comes on, our friends start heading back to the dance floor.

"Dance with me baby." Eric says in between kisses. We soon move to the dance floor where he wraps his arms tightly around me, his face inches from mine. He rests his forehead against mine and takes a deep breath.

"Tris I can't believe I'm here with you." He says.

"Me either, it feels like a dream." I reply. "Eric, how long do we have this time?"

He leans back slightly and trains his beautiful grey eyes on mine. "As long as you'll have me."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I'm done. I'm home for good." He smiles.

"You're not. Don't say that. It's going to tear me apart when you leave again." I reply, laying my head on his shoulder.

"Baby, I mean it. I'm done. I didn't reenlist. I'm home for good this time, I promise you." He replies.

"You never make a promise you don't intend to keep." I whisper and feel him nod. "You're really here? For good?"

"I am." He replies, holding me tighter as we both try to keep the tears that threaten to fall at bay.

"Where do you want to settle down?" I finally ask.

"Wherever you are." He replies, kissing me deeply. "Tris, I love you. I've loved you for as long as I can remember. I want to start our life together baby, I'm so ready for us."

"I love you too Eric. It's always been you." I look up and capture his lips with mine. He pulls me closer and buries his face in my neck. He moves slightly so his lips are against my ear.

"Marry me Tris." He whispers. I pull back from our embrace.

"What? Are you serious?" I ask.

He drops to one knee in the middle of the dance floor and pulls a ring box from his pocket. Our friends and classmates stop dancing when they see what's happening and they surround us. I see Chris holding her phone, taking a video with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Tris, I love you, I've never loved anyone else in my life. You are who's kept me going these past few years, and I'm ready to come home to you and start our life together. Please do me the honor of becoming my wife. Tris Prior, my love, my baby, will you marry me?"

"Yes, yes a million times yes!" I say through tears. He slips the beautiful diamond solitaire on my finger and stands up, pulling me in for a passionate kiss. There is applause all around us, and our friends soon surround us in a group embrace.

"I can't wait to make you my wife." He whispers against my ear once I am sitting on his lap, back at the table with our excited friends.

"Me either. When do you want to get married?" I whisper back.

"Soon." He smiles.

"Soon." I reply.


End file.
